Types of Lifting Equipment

Many organizations have situations that require people to move objects that are too heavy, awkward or bulky to move by hand. The quickest, easiest and safest way to move these objects around is to use specialized lifting equipment.

If this is a regular task, then it will be cost efficient for the business to invest in the right gear to do the job. The nature of the job and the weight of the objects to move will help to determine which Safety Equipment is the most suitable for the job. Many pieces of equipment fall under the category of lifting gear including: Electric hoists

Scaffold hoists

Jib cranes

Pallet handling equipment

Fork lift trucks

Electric Hoist

An electric hoist has a mains powered electric motor and uses a chain to perform the lift or pull. These are usually wall, or ceiling, mounted and can have the option of a radio control.

Scaffold Hoist

A scaffold hoist attaches to a building scaffold and expedites the movement of building materials up to the higher levels. This greatly reduces the time and effort and increases productivity on a building site, but scaffold hoists have a variety of other uses due to the sturdy outdoor construction.

Jib Crane

A jib crane is a type of crane with a horizontal jib that supports a moveable hoist. This allows movement of the goods through two dimensions; vertically and laterally. Some jib cranes allow the arm to rotate to give an increased field of movement.

Pallet Handling Equipment

Many businesses that deal with pallets need equipment to move the pallets and contents around. A manual pallet truck is an affordable solution that will allow anyone to move around these pallets. More expensive options include stacker trucks and scissor lifts, which make it easier to stack pallets. More expensive models use electric power for ease of operation.

Fork Lift Truck

For faster movement of goods pallets or bulky objects, fork lift trucks are hard to beat. These allow for fast and safe movement of goods, but operators need training to operate a fork lift safely. It is also possible to buy attachments for the fork to enhance the usability of a fork lift truck.

The wide choice of available lifting equipment can be bewildering, but each type is more useful for a particular application or location. To keep staff safe, make sure they use the correct equipment for the job, and anyone using the equipment has adequate training and experience on the gear and any safety requirements to use it.